5 Things the Cincinnati Bearcats Must Do To Make the 2015 NCAA Tournament

By Kelly Anderson

5 Things the Cincinnati Bearcats Must Do To Make the 2015 NCAA Tournament

Larry Davis Cincinnati Bearcats — Even though they have basically played the entire season without their head coach Mick Cronin, Cincinnati has built themselves a fairly impressive resume. They have swept Larry Brown’s SMU Mustangs, beaten Steve Fisher’s San Diego State Aztecs and have a non-conference strength of schedule that ranks in the top 25. But they still have some work to do when it comes to making the NCAA Tournament, and here are the five things they must do to get in.

5. Win the Games They’re Supposed To Win

Farad Cobb Cincinnati Bearcats

5. Win the Games They’re Supposed To Win

Farad Cobb Cincinnati Bearcats — At this point of the season you cannot afford any unexpected losses. The Bearcats need to pad their win total with games against UCF and Tulane to get them to the 20-win mark. A loss to either one of those teams would add a black mark to their resume and may put them on the wrong side of the bubble.

4. Find a Scorer Who Can Carry the Team

Troy Caupain Cincinnati Bearcats

4. Find a Scorer Who Can Carry the Team

Troy Caupain Cincinnati Bearcats — This team is too balanced when it comes to their scoring; not a single player on their team averages more than 10 points a game, and that’s a clear sign that they don’t have a true go-to player they can rely on in the clutch. Troy Caupain has been that player by default, but he needs to step up and take ownership of that role. He definitely has the skill to do so at over 45 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from three-point range.

3. Make a Deep Run In the AAC Tournament

Shaq Thomas Cincinnati Bearcats

3. Make a Deep Run In the AAC Tournament

Shaq Thomas Cincinnati Bearcats — The committee always looks at how you finish the season, and there’s no better way to leave a lasting impression than by performing well in your conference tournament. This is the time where all eyes are on you, so the last thing you want to do is lay an egg in the early rounds against an inferior opponent; just ask SMU how that affected them last year.

2. Improve RPI

Troy Caupain Cincinnati Bearcats

2. Improve RPI

Troy Caupain Cincinnati Bearcats — It’s tough for a team to have any control over this statistical category, but if they can go on the road and get a win over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and follow that up with another win over a solid team in their conference tourney, that will go a long way in helping them lower their RPI. Right now they are 53rd in the RPI, and that’s dangerously close to getting them in the NCAA play-in game at best.

1. Continue To Pass the Eye Test

Farad Cobb Cincinnati Bearcats

1. Continue To Pass the Eye Test

Farad Cobb Cincinnati Bearcats — This is obviously the most subjective of the five, but when all other things are equal between them and another team on the bubble, the committee ultimately relies on the eye test to make their decision. So as long as the Bearcats continue to play their smothering defense, they will look like a team that can actually do some damage if they get in the field.

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Cincinnati Bearcats

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